ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems

A new standard, ISO 45001 Occupational health and safety management systems has now been published which suspercedes 18001 and will follow the same overall structure as ISO 9001: 2015. It will also take into account other International Standards in this area, the International Labour Organization’s ILO-OSH Guidelines, various national standards and the ILO’s international labour standards and conventions and local legislative requirements.

The standard is based on OHSAS 18001 but includes additional clauses requiring worker participation, particularly in areas that affect their health, dsafety and well being.

As ISO 45001 follows the structure of ISO 9001: 2015 and ISO 14001: 2015 it is able to be incorporated into an integrated management system containing all 3 standards.

Certification
ISO 45001 is set to replace OHSAS 18001 over three years following its publication in March 2018 so BS OSHAS 18001 certification will automatically end after March 2021.

ISO 45001 changes compared to OHSAS 18001:2007

• Clause 4.1 Context of the organization The organization shall determine internal and external issues that are relevant to its purpose and that affect its ability to achieve the intended outcome(s) of its OH & S management system;
• Clause 4.2 Understanding the needs and expectations of workers and other interested parties: interested parties now include are workers, suppliers, subcontractors, clients, regulatory authorities;
• Clause 6.1 Risk and opportunities require companies are to determine, consider and, where necessary, take action to address any risks or opportunities that may impact (either positively or negatively) the ability of the management system to deliver its intended results, including enhanced health and safety at the workplace;
• Clause 5.1 Leadership and management commitment has stronger emphasis on top management to actively engage and take accountability for the effectiveness of the management system.